If You're Reading This
by D. L. Sauron- AlmightyLOTRnerd
Summary: A prequel to the movie told from the POV of a trash compacter as she meets and befriends two other robots in the midst of humanity's last days on planet Earth
1. Prologue: Morning Ritual

**This is my first Wall-E fnafic. I know, that fandom is pretty much dead now, but I thought this came out okay, so I thought I'd post it. This is a prequel to the movie, so expect many OCs. You will recognize two of the characters, though. It is told from a trash compacter's point of view and explains some of the unanswered questions in the beginning of the movie, such as why all the other trash compacters are dead. Please read AND review. I don't own Wall-E.**

**Note: in the story, bolded text means a robot is speaking. i used a different way of indicating speech because the robots talk to each other through a sort of telepathic thought speech. they can only talk to humans by using a thought speech translator. Lido, a character who comes in later, is an exception, as she is not completely human.**

**If You're Reading This (Apocalypse)**

**By: Siry "Sprig", a trash compacter**

**1. Prologue: Morning Ritual**

_If You're Reading This…There are a few things I think you should know._

_First, I'm not human. My name is Sprig and I am a Trash Compacter._

_Second, I'm a survivor of the Trash Compacter Massacre and third, I'm now considered a rebel outlaw by the government._

_Oh, yeah, and I almost forgot. I'm supposed to be dead. You want to know why? Keep reading and you'll see. You'll learn my whole story. Then you can decide if I've got a few screws loose or not. So here goes. Here's my story._

It was morning. The sun had just come over the horizon as we all woke and headed outside. With our faces to the east, we opened our solar panels to the Sun. As always, it was one swift movement in unison. We tilted our heads back to look at the Light of Life, whose rays kept us alive and strong. When all of our sounders rang at once, we closed our panels. Na Ray moved to the front of the group.

**Good morning.** he said.

**Good morning. **we repeated.

**Let us thank the Great Light for all that we have.**

**We thank you, Great Light, for the light that you bring us and the life that you give us.** Na Ray continued,

**Let our race live long and prosper.**

**May we live long and prosper in peace beneath our Great Light.**

**Go now to work and know that in doing so, you keep the Great Light happy, so that it will continue to shine on us.**

**We go now to work and please the Great Light, for it is in all that we do.** And that was it. The morning ritual was complete.

After it, everyone went to work building the trash towers to the Great Light. Personally, I thought the work was disgusting, but I didn't dare tell Na Ray. If I did, I would be killed right then and there.


	2. WallE

**Second chapter. This is where the first movie character, Wall-E, comes in. Sorry, can't tell you any more. That would be giving spoilers, and I don't do that. I don't own Wall-E, either.**

**2. Wall-E**

I headed to the quieter, more secluded trash pile I worked at. Torrin and Wormer were already there, and arguing.

**… you crazy! My trash cubes are a hundred times better than yours.** Torrin boasted. Wormer fought back,

**No, they're not. You know what Na Ray says. No one's cubes are better than anyone else's.**

**Racdrops on what Na Ray says. I'll prove mine are the best.** With that, Torrin turned and scooped up a load of trash into his body and closed his chest door. Then he squeezed himself into an almost-box shape. His eyes squinched shut and he made small pained noises. Wormer was doing his own cube. Both of them opened their doors and lifted the top half of their bodies up to let the cubes roll out. Both cubes hit the ground and deflated. I snickered softly to myself.

**See! Told ya!** Torrin cried.

**Told me what?** Wormer scoffed.

**Mine's the best. Isn't it, Sprig?** Torrin asked. I still don't know why they call me Sprig, but I like it.

**They're exactly the same.** I said.

**Fine. Let's see YOU do a better cube.** Torrin challenged.

**Alright, I will.** I said with a laugh. I scooped all my trash and squeezed in on it. The pain was awful, but I was used to it. We all were. After all, we were created to compact trash.

I felt the little "tick" that told me my cube was done, so I let it out. It held its shape without deflating.

**Beat that.** I challenged back.

**Oh, go build a trash tower.** Torrin muttered.

Wormer and I laughed as we went to make more trash cubes.

Then It showed up.

It was a trash compacter, like me, but it was only four-and-a-half feet tall, while I was five feet tall. That wasn't why it was shunned.

It was different. It didn't live in our truck, it didn't practice the ritual with us, and it didn't believe in the Great Light like we did. And, most importantly, it didn't build trash towers with us. In fact, no one had ever seen it make a single trash cube. In our society, that was frowned upon. If you didn't compact trash, that made you an inferior.

Of course, it had a name, the name that was painted on all of us that could never be ours. Its name was Wall-E.

Wall-E stood there and watched me for a moment before he dared to speak.

**If that hurts so much, why do you do it?** Wall-E asked.

**Because it's what we were made for. Why don't you make trash cubes like the rest of us?** I inquired.

Wall-E looked around as though he was making sure Wormer and Torrin couldn't hear us. But they had gone back to fighting over who made the best trash cubes.

**I can't.** Wall-E said quietly, **Something's wrong with me. I think I'm broken.** He looked like he wanted to cry as he hung his head.

**Show me.** I told him, **Make a trash cube so I can see what you mean.**

**Ok-kay.** he said shakily. He scooped up a load of trash and began to compact it. Then he let out a cube that that would've made Na Ray jealous. But it wasn't the cube I was worried about. Wall-E had fallen on his back and was making sob-like sounds as he shook so violently, the rattling was almost deafening.

**Wall-E! Wall-E! Oh, God, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Oh, no, oh, Wall-E! Wall-E! Oh, please tell me you're alright, oh please, please, Wall-E!** I panicked as I picked him up in my arms. I couldn't tell whether or not he was hurt. If he was, I didn't know how bad it was.

**Wall-E? Wall-E. Talk to me. Please. Say something.** I pleaded. If I had been able to, I would've cried. Yes, I, Sprig, would've cried.

Wall-E slowly opened his eyes and looked up at me.

**S-Sprig?** he whispered.

**Yeah, it's me.** I said, **Sorry about that.**

**You didn't know.** he said.

**Are you alright?** I asked.

**Why don't we have a look?** said a gruff voice, followed by laughter. All male. Before he knew what had happened, Wall-E was yanked up by the hook on his back. I looked up to see who had done it and groaned.

It was Ox. With him were his buddies Grab, Run, Bull, and several others whose names I didn't know. Wall-E hung there in Ox's hand, helpless and scared.

**What are you and your dumb gang doing here, Ox?** I asked.

**We thought we'd be nice and get rid of this trash for you, Sprig.** Ox said, shaking Wall-E.

**What, your trash pile ain't big enough? Now you gotta mess with mine? Put him down and get lost.**

**Oh-ho. She's frisky.** he mocked. The others laughed.

**I mean it, eejit. I will fight you. And you know I can, Ox.** I was starting to get very angry.

**Oh! She swore! She swore! Oh, no, Sprig swore!** Ox cried dramatically. The others cracked up.

**That does it.** I growled. I raced forward and threw a hard punch right in Ox's face. He dropped Wall-E and reeled back screaming.

I shoved Wall-E behind me. Then, with a loud hiss, I shot toward Bull with my head down. I hit him square in the chest. He grunted and fell backwards as I punched the air.

**Woo-hoo! I always win with a head-butt!** I turned to the others, but they had already begun to retreat. Ox was being helped along by Grab and Run while Bull followed behind clutching his chest. Ox and Bull were whimpering like crybabies.

**Oh, go die in a landfill!** I hollered after them. Ox said something, but by then, he was too far away to be understood.

**What did he say?** Wall-E asked as he stood up.

**Doesn't matter.** I said, **Ox is just a big bully who thinks he knows everything. He's all trash and no compact. He says he'll do something, but he won't. he never has and he never will.**

**Why not?** Wall-E asked.

**He's stupid. Momma used to say 'He ain't worth a single trash cube and neither is the rest of that gang of his.' She was right. He's dumber than the trash he compacts.** We both got a laugh out of that. Then came the blow that struck like a cobra.

**Sprig?** Wall-E asked worriedly.

**Yes?** I answered nervously. Wall-E took a deep "breath".

**Why does everyone hat e me?** Wall-E's voice was soft, yet serious.

**What do you mean?** I asked, not knowing I was about to hear a story that would turn my world upside down and inside out forever.

**Ever since I was made, everyone's hated me. When I was little, no one would play with me. Whenever I got close, they screamed and ran like I was some monster. I don't remember ever having a friend here. Even the adults run when they see me. I feel so small and helpless, like no one loves me. I'm just so-so alone. It's like I don't even exist….I'm invisible.** He made small noises that sounded like crying. I went to the trash pile and started digging until I found what I was looking for, an old blanket I had hidden a while ago in case I got stuck working in the cold. I went back to Wall-E, who was still "crying". I wrapped the blanket around him and pulled him close.

**I don't hate you.** I whispered,** I love you, Wall-E. I'm your friend.**

**Really?** he sniffed.

**Really. **I said as I softly stroked his back. He let his head fall down and rest on my shoulder.

In that moment, I felt so bad for him. He'd never been friends with another trash compacter until now. No one had given him a chance. Everyone, including me, had assumed he was evil. Bad.

The unfairness of it angered me. After all, it wasn't Wall-E's fault something was wrong with him. Or that he had a pain seizure whenever he tried to compact trash. It wasn't that he didn't do it. It was that he couldn't. He would kill himself if he did.

I hugged Wall-E tighter as the awful truth sank in. I knew no one else would approve of me having Wall-E as a friend, and Na Ray would certainly be angry about it. But that didn't matter. Wall-E needed me, and that was what mattered.

**Why do the others hate me?** he asked, his face still buried in my shoulder.

I thought about it for a minute, then answered,

**It's because you're so different.**

**How?** Wall-E asked.

**Well, for starters, you don't compact trash. But that can't be helped right now.**

**Also, you don't practice our ritual or share our beliefs.** I paused.

**I'm sorry. Na Ray's preaching never got to me.** he said.

**Same here.** I stated, I** never got into all that Great Light stuff. I think he made it up so he could control us. I shook my head, No, I don't believe it either. I just go through the motions.**

**Na Ray would have your head if he heard that.** I snorted,

**Na Ray can kiss my trash compacting butt. He can go to blazes for all I care.**

Wall-E laughed, a sound the likes of which had never been heard from another trash compacter. It was a soft, light sound filled with life and joy, like I imagined the Human race of Ereth had once been.

**Now what?** he asked.

**Now I go make trash cubes and you come with me.**

Wall-E looked like Na Ray had just crowned him the Prophet of the Great Light.

**Me? An outcast? Go with a _real_ trash compacter?**

**Hey, you're one of us now. Don't put yourself down like that.**

**Who said so?**

**I did. Me. Sprig. I declare you, Wall-E, a trash compacter.** I said in my best imitation of Na Ray's voice. Wall-E laughed again.

**Now come on.** I said in my normal voice.

**Sprig?** Wall-E said.

**Yes?**

**Is there any more reasons why the others hate me?**

I sighed, **You don't live in our truck. You live…wait. Where do you live?**

**I live in Lido's house.** Wall-E said.

**Who's Lido?** I asked.

**Come home with me after work and I'll show you.**

**Okay.** I said, **Now, let's hit the trash.**


	3. New Friends

**Yay, third chapter! That means this is the longest story I've ever published. A new OC comes in here, so GO READ IT. I own Wall-E (I wish)**

**3. New Friends**

For the rest of the day, Wall-E and I dug through the trash piles. He would crawl into little spaces that I couldn't get in and get the trash for me, and I would compact it. Every once in a while, he would find something he thought was interesting. Then he would bring it to me.

**Do you think I should keep this?** he asked when he found a fake fish on a piece of wood. He pressed a button and the fish sang a short song.

**Do you want it?** I asked.

**Yes.** he answered.

**Then keep it.**

**Okay.** He opened his door and stuck the fish inside. I eventually found him an old cooler he could carry using the hook on his back. I told him he could put some of his newfound treasures in it. He thanked me and began looking for things to fill it with.

I felt happy watching him rush around picking up this, looking at that. He was like a child exploring this strange new world of fascinating objects. Watching him, I couldn't see how anyone could hate him. Wall-E was so cute as he raced around gathering trash. It made me think of the old song Momma used to sing about Daddy after he unexpectedly left. I looked at Wall-E and sang it softly to myself.

_He looked so much like a man._

_But he was so much like a child._

_An angel when he held me close._

_A devil when he smiled._

_He always kept it deep inside_

_But somehow I always knew._

_He'd go away when the grass turned green_

_And the sky turned baby blue_

_Baby blue_

_Was the color of his eyes._

_Baby blue_

_Like the Colorado skies._

_Like a breath of spring_

_He came and went._

_And I still don't know why, so_

_Here's to you_

_And whoever holds my baby blue tonight._

_He brought colors to my life_

_That my eyes had never touched._

_And when he taught me how to care_

_I never cared so much._

_When I lay down to sleep at night_

_I close my eyes and dream_

_And drift off where the grass is green_

_And the sky is baby blue._

When the day's work was done and everyone was headed back to the truck, I stood by a trash pile to wait for Wall-E, who was busy digging through one last pile in search of interesting garbage. He came to me when he was done. At the same time, Wormer and Torrin showed up.

**Hey, Sprig! What's _that_ doing here?** Torrin called, pointing at Wall-E.

**_He__'__s_ Wall-E, and I'm going with him tonight.**

**What! He's an eejit!** Torrin cried.

**You're a filthy, stinking trash cube. **I shouted back. Wormer and Wall-E gasped. And for good reason. Eejit and trash cube were the worst insults anyone could utter.

**Well…well…uh…you're a…you're…I gotta go.** Torrin turned and raced away in a cloud of dust.

**Me too.** Wormer stated, **Hey Torrin! Wait!.** he called as he shot away.

**Well, _that _could have gone better. Oh, well. They aren't worth fussing over. Come on, Wall-E. let's go see this Lido.**

**Okay.** Wall-E took my hand and led me along, away from everyone else.

We went down a few narrow alleyways between the huge buildings the Humans had left behind when the First Exodus occurred. That, as Na Ray had taught it, was when the Humans began to leave Ereth and we became the dominant rulers of the planet. We swarmed in and took the abandoned cities as our own. The reign of the Trash Compacters had begun. (What a load of racdrops.) There were still some Humans left in our city, but we never saw them. They lived in a small area we called the Humantown, which trash compacters were forbidden to enter unless accompanied by a Human.

Ahead of us, the buildings gave way to a wide expanse of flat, open land. We were standing on what once been a bridge or part of some raised highway. Now the end was jagged and had broken cables hanging out of it where the rest had fallen off. The land below was dusty and barren, and in this way, it was just like the city.

The last rays of the Sun were disappearing. But that only made what lay in front of us seem more amazing.

It was a house. A normal house that a human would have lived in. I knew because I had seen pictures of houses in old newspapers in the trash. As houses went, this one was pretty nice. It would have been kind of expensive for a person to buy. But I had a feeling Lido didn't buy it. My guess was that Lido had just found it abandoned and moved right in.

The house was plenty big enough for two or three to live in comfort. It looked like a log cabin that would be found in Alaska, like in the pictures on those old postcards people always threw away. It had a wraparound porch and large windows that let in lots of light. It seemed like a pretty nice place to live, I thought. Much nicer than the trash compacter truck.

Wall-E moved up to the wooden door, raised his hand, and knocked three times.

"Come in." called a voice from inside. _That __must __be __Lido_ I thought. I couldn't tell if it was a male or a female. I knew it wasn't a trash compacter. We couldn't speak out loud like that.

Wall-E opened the door and motioned for me to go inside. I did. And almost fainted.

The logs the house was built out of were stained and finished inside, while they were left natural outside. To my left was a large room with a high ceiling and a fireplace on the far wall. Next to it, closest to the front of the house, was a huge flat screen TV on a stand. On the other side of the fire place was a large stereo system. Home theater speakers were set up around the room. Music came from the stereo. It was a female singer and the song was slow, but happy. A large oriental rug covered the floor. A large square table about two feet tall stood in the center. A few remotes, some CDs, a pile of magazines, and a few drink coasters lay on the black table. Across from the fireplace stood a large sofa with an afghan draped over it. An identical couch stood to its right and faced the front of the house. The two couches formed a sort of "corner", each lined up with a side of the table. And in that "corner" was a rocking chair that I could have sat comfortably in. Above, the room was lit by a chandelier made of deer antlers. The lights were electric, so the room was brightly lit.

Beyond the living room, I could see a professional kitchen complete with stainless steel equipment and a cooking island. Pots and pans hung on a rack above the island.

Beside the island was a mahogany dinette with set with a table and four chairs. There was a large black lump in one of the chairs.

How did I know what all this stuff was? Two words: "Torrin" and "Wormer"

There was just one thing missing.

Lido.

**Come on, Sprig.** Wall-E beckoned as he dragged me across the hardwood floor. He pulled me over to stand in front of the black lump. Then he reached up and tapped the lump.

**Lido.** he said. The lump stirred, and Lido sat up.

I gasped. She was perfect. Her long, thick, wavy black hair, her tanned skin, her slim yet strong build. Her deep black eyes. Not to mention the floor length, long sleeved black dress she wore. I couldn't help but notice she was barefoot. Overall, she looked to me like some forgotten Human goddess of beauty.

"Wall-E. You're home. How was your…oh!"

She even had a perfect voice. I tried not to look embarrassed when she saw me.

"Who is this, Wall-E?"

**This is another trash compacter. The first one who would be my friend. Lido, this is Sprig. Sprig-** he nodded at me,**-this is Lido.**

"Hello, Sprig." Lido held out her hand so I could shake it. My hand was trembling as I shook hers.

**Hi, **I said softly. Then, because I couldn't think of anything about me, I just said, **Wall-E's told me a lot about you.** Absolute lie, I know. Truth was, I didn't know squat about this strange woman Wall-E lived with. But I tried to cover that up with that kind remark.

It was no good. She read me like an old book. (At this point I should probably mention that trash compacters like me were afraid of Humans because they usually beat the living daylights out of us whenever they got ahold of some poor, unlucky trash compacter.)

"It's all right, Sprig. I won't hurt you."

**You're a human.** I said. Wall-E had a look on his face that screamed _Boy, __I __did __not __think __this __through __too __well __at __all._ Lido looked at Wall-E. Then they both busted out laughing. I just stood and waited for them to calm down.

"Is that what you're afraid of? Me being human?" Lido asked. I nodded.

"Well, you shouldn't be." she said.

**You're a human.** I repeated.

**Actually, she's not.** Wall-E sounded as if he was going to "cry" again.

**What's wrong?** I asked worriedly.

**I should have told you. I forgot. It's such a normal part of my life, I forgot others don't know. And I never had anyone I could tell until now.**

**Hey, Wall-E. It's okay. Just tell me now.** I said, putting my arms around him and pulling him close.

**Will you believe me? Will you trust me?** he squeaked.

**Of course, I will. Just tell me. I'm ready for anything.** And I was ready for anything Wall-E could possibly say.

He answered, **Lido's a robot.**

Okay everything but _that_ I was ready for.

**How?** I asked, shocked.

"Let me explain." Lido said, "I used to be a human, like you thought, Sprig. But I got extremely sick and found out I was going to die. So I built myself a robot body and grew skin, hair, teeth, etc. on it, so it would look like an ordinary human, then I put all that I am, mind, heart, soul, all that into the new body and let my old one die. In the new one, I run at supersonic speeds, I have incredible strength (That's how I can pick Wall-E up.), and of course my appearance is flawless. Mentally and spiritually, its still me, just like I was before."

Then, as if to prove her strength, Lido picked Wall-E up in both of her arms as though he weighed nothing. (trash compacters are heavy. Very heavy.) She carried him over to the rocking chair and sat down on it with Wall-E in her lap.

"Did Sprig give you this?" Lido asked, holding up a corner of the blanket I had put around him after Ox left. I was surprised he'd kept it.

**Yes she did.** Wall-E answered, **Sprig gave it to me after she-**

**Let's start at the beginning.** I cut in.

**Okay.** he agreed.

So we told Lido the entire story, from Wall-E first talking to me to his trash cube seizure, to Ox's arrival, to Wall-E asking questions, to my giving him the cooler, to me defending Wall-E to Torrin, to our arrival at the house. When we were done, Lido was silent as she took in all we had said. The slow song was still playing on the stereo.

**That's a pretty song.** I told her.

"You like it? It's Taylor Swift. It's called 'Mary's Song' or 'Oh, My, My, My' I like the sound of her voice."

**What else do you listen to?** I asked.

"Mine and Wall-E's favorites are Taylor Swift, Sugarland, and Rascal Flatts. But we listen to anything that's country."

**Could I hear some of those?** I asked.

"Sure. You go sit on the couch with Wall-E." she instructed.

I went over to the couch across from the fireplace. Wall-E joined me and together, we scrambled up onto it. I'll just say this. Trash compacters are most definitely _not_ the best climbers.

Lido put some more CDs in the disc changer and pressed the "random" button. Then she lit the fireplace and turned out all the lights. She pulled the big afghan off the back of the couch and sat down between us. She put one side of the blanket around Wall-E and pulled him close so that his head lay on the front of her shoulder.

"My baby." she said, so soft I almost didn't hear it.

"My sweet, sweet, little baby." she said as she stroked Wall-E's arm gently. Then she bent over and kissed the top of his head.

It was then that I finally understood the relationship between these two. It was something I had only seen in pictures, and only in Humans. But here it was now, with a trash compacter. Wall-E was a little child, and Lido was his mother.

What she did next was even more surprising. She reached over and put the other side of the blanket around me and pulled me close, like she had done with Wall-E. The blanket now covered all three of us. She rubbed my arm and held me tighter. Then,

"My girl. My sweet baby girl." I wished Momma had been there to see it. She would have been so happy for me. I had found someone to love me.

_This,_ I thought,_is__how__it__'__s__supposed__to__be__…__.No._

_This is how it was meant to be._


	4. Premonition and Change

**Four chapters! Yay! Now it's tied with "LOTR Parodies" which, until now has been my longest story. Not much to say on this one, except that I STILL do NOT own Wall-E**

**4. Premonition and Change**

Sometime during the night, Wall-E awoke screaming and panting. He clung to Lido and me for dear life. I didn't know what horrors had invaded his dreams, and judging by Wall-E's reaction, I didn't want to know. All I knew of the dream were three words Wall-E had said particularly loud. They were "Axiom", "Auto", and "holo-detector"

When we awoke the next morning, I asked Wall-E about the dream.

**What happened last night, Wall-E?** I asked.

**What do you mean?**

**You had a nightmare or somethin'. You said lots of weird stuff.** I answered.

**I did?** It was like he had no memory of it. Or he didn't want to think about it. He looked at Lido. She nodded.

"You did." she said gently, "You grabbed me and Sprig like the orcs of Mordor were after you." I snickered at her _Lord __of __the __Rings _reference.

**Yeah, and you were screamin' somethin' about 'Axiom' and 'Auto' and 'holo-detector'.** I added.

**Oh. That.** he said slowly,** I think I saw my death.** He said as casually as if he were just talking about the weather.

"Your _what?_" Lido cried.

**Your _death?_** I asked, stunned.

**Yeah.** Wall-E answered, **It was someplace really big called the _Axiom_. I was trying to hold up this heavy holo-detector thing. Some monster named Auto was fighting me. I was beating him, but I slipped and he crushed me with the holo-detector and that's how I died.** He stood there, waiting for a reply, while Lido and I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Hmm." Lido said as she leaned forward to look at him, "I'm not entirely sure, but it feels like I know that story. Like I saw it or heard it somewhere."

**You mean, like in a movie?** I suggested.

"Yes. Thank you, Sprig, that's exactly what I mean."

**Um, always happy to help.** I said slowly, uneasily.

**What movie?** Wall-E asked.

"I believe it was an old Pixar film, but I can't remember the name. Sprig, look in those cabinets over there. Maybe I have it." she instructed.

**These?** I asked, going over to a set of cabinets near the TV. She nodded.

"Those." she said.

The cabinets were a little too high for me to reach, but I kicked in the trash compacter hydraulics and rose up on my treads 'til I was high enough to reach them. I opened the cabinet to find a whole shelf of DVDs. I began to read off the titles to Lido.

**_Harry __Potter_?**

"No."

**_Lord __of __the __Rings_?**

"No."

**_Avatar_?**

"No."

**_Wall-E_?**

"No. Wait. Yes. That's the one. Bring it here, Sprig." I pulled the DVD out, closed the cabinet, and let myself back down to my normal height. Wall-E watched intently as I gave it to Lido. She opened it and looked at the scene selection, nodding her head.

"Yes, this was it. I remember now." she said quietly to herself.

**Remember what? What is it?** I asked.

"The _Axiom_ is a high class BNL luxury starliner, 'Auto' is short for 'Autopilot', and the holo-detector is a device that uses a plant to trigger an automatic, immediate return to Ereth."

**Ooh. Sounds cool. Can we watch it? Please?** I asked. She laughed.

"Of course we can. Here, stick the disc in the player, will you?" she turned on the DVD player and pressed the "open" button. The turntable slid out and I put the disc on it. I gave it a slight push, and it went back into the player.

**Done.** I said as I went back to the couch, **A little help, please?** I said as I tried to get up without hitting or kicking anyone. Lido picked me up and set me on the sofa beside her.

"Now, shh! It's starting." Lido put Wall-E between her and I, where he remained, starry eyed, for the entire movie.

When it was over, Wall-E was staring at the screen, wide eyed, the little metal "eyebrows" on top of his head standing almost straight up.

**That…was…_exactly_…like…my dream!** he exclaimed. Lido and I exchanged worried looks.

"Then maybe it was more than a dream." she said.

**Yeah. Maybe you're a psychic or something and it was some creepy vision of the future.** A future I hoped would never become real. After all, it had scared Wall-E enough as a dream. And while I thought Eve, M-O, and the Captain seemed pretty nice, that Autopilot was something else. I mean, he had no life in him at all. He was just a body with a voice. There was no person in there, and that, to me, was just too freaky. But there was also his little pain-in-the-butt, huge-ego, wannabe-sidekick GO-4. It was hard to believe anyone could be _that_ obnoxious. I couldn't totally blame Auto for having a few screws loose. If I had to spend 700 years on a starliner with only that little eejit for company, I'd be a total nervous wreck, whack job too.

"Well, I suppose you two better charge up and get going." Lido said as she stood up.

**Oh yeah. So many trash cubes, so little time.** I said sarcastically.

"Go on." she said with a laugh, "I'll see you when you get…home." Her voice trailed off as she looked at me. I knew instantly what was bugging her.

**Uh-uh. No way. I am _not_going back to the trash compacter truck. Not after meeting you and Wall-e. Noo way.**

"Where will you go, then?"

**Isn't it obvious? I'll come back here and live with you and Wall-E.**

"What about your family?"

**My actual rellies are either dead or shipped off to another city, and no matter what Na Ray says, I don't consider the rest of them my family. This is my home now. You two are my family. You're wonderful, and I love Wall-E-** that took him by surprise, **-so I want to stay with him. That is, if you'll have me.**

Lido was silent. Then she smiled and hugged me tightly.

"Of course we'll have you, honey. Of course we will." She turned to Wall-E and smiled.

"Say hello to your new housemate, Wall-E."

**Really? Sprig's staying?** he asked.

**No, I'm flying to the moon. Of course I'm staying.** I teased. He laughed. That was another thing I loved about him. He laughed at every dumb joke I made, even if it wasn't funny.

**Na Ray's a whack job full of racdrops. So, there.**

**YES!** Wall-E cried as he hugged me, **This is the best day of my life!**

**Come on, Wall-E!** I called,** Let's go.**


	5. A Special Place

**Okay, NOW this is the longest story I've ever done. The fifth chapter. Again, not much to say on this one. I thibk you know by now that I don't own Wall-E. I only own Sprig, Lido, Na Ray, Torrin, Wormer, Ox, and anyone else who isn't in the movie. I also don't own the song in this chapter. That belongs to Rascal Flatts**

**5. A Special Place**

We rolled until we were out of Lido's hearing range. (which is a lot farther than a normal human's). Then,

**Sprig, do you...do you_have_ to go to work today?**

**Well, Na Ray says we do, but I nick out all the time. So, no, I don't.**

**Good. I want to show you something. Come on.** he said excitedly.

**What is it?** I questioned.

**Just wait and see.** he said.

He led me to a large Human building that, from the ground, seemed as tall as a trash tower. The Humans had called buildings like this "skyscrapers". But I knew that our trash towers dwarfed the skyscrapers. When humans had been here, this particular one had probably been full of offices and apartments. Now it was covered in the same grayish brown coating of dirt and filth as the rest of the city.

**Here we are.** Wall-E let me look at the old building for a moment before he spoke again.

**I've never brought anyone here before. It's kind of, you know, my special place.**

**What's so special about an old skyscraper?** I asked.

**Not the skyscraper, trash brain.** he laughed, **What's in it is special.**

**Oh.** I said softly.

**Come on, and I'll show you.**

I followed him into what had once been a grand lobby with marble and granite everywhere and loads of expensive furniture. Now it was just a dusty old reminder of how rich humans had lived. Unlike other skyscrapers, this one was tiered. I could see all the way up to the glass roof high overhead. Five clear elevator shafts ran up the back wall to the top floor, and it was to the middle one that Wall-E led me. I followed him into the car, and he pressed a button on the wall panel. The doors closed, and a soft electric bell dinged.

**Turn around.** Wall-E said. I did. And gasped.

The entire back of the elevator car was a large glass window that looked out over the lobby. The car gave a slight lurch and began to rise. I held on to the handrail in the car and watched the floor fall away. This thing probably wasn't meant to hold any more than 600 pounds. I would have been amazed to see it lift one trash compacter. But _two_? I threw Wall-E an anxious look as we got higher.

**Don't worry.** he said, **I tricked the weight sensors and strengthened the magnet system.**

When we reached the top, the elevator bell dinged again as the doors opened and we got off. I followed Wall-E down the walkway. There were doors with fancy engraved plates on then to our right, and to our left was the long drop to the lobby far below. It was so quiet, I was reluctant to speak or even make any kind of noise at all. For a moment, I just watched the dust particles as they danced in the shafts of light that shone through the glass roof. Finally, I dared to ask a question.

**Wall-E, where are we going?**

**Just wait. We're almost there.** He had obviously been here before and knew his way around. That was good, because I didn't. And I was still a little uneasy about the elevator.

**Here it is. **Wall-E stopped in front of a door that had no plate on it. I thought that was strange until I followed Wall-E through it. We were in a short hallway. At the end of it was another door. This one was fancier than the one we had just come through. It was made of some heavy, dark black wood with ornate carvings on the front. The word "penthouse" was engraved on an aged silver plate. I wondered what in the world Wall-E was doing in a ritzy penthouse in the top of some old hotel.

**Well?** he said impatiently, **Ain't ya gonna open it?**

I turned the knob and pulled. Whatever I had been expecting to see, it wasn't this.

There were pieces of trash everywhere. But it wasn't trash, I realized as I looked around. I recognized some things. The singing fish hung on the wall next to a _Lord__of__the__Rings_ poster of the Dark Lord Sauron in his suit of armor (I have to say, that guy was pretty cool looking, especially with that mace he carries.). His cooler sat on an antique table with a Louisville Slugger in place of a missing leg.

The blanket I had given him lay on the back of an old leather sofa.

**Wow.** was all I could think of to say. It was incredible! Some of the stuff was even _made_of trash.

**Did you do all this?** I asked, shocked.

**Yeah.** he answered as he headed for another door across the room. As I followed, I looked at some more of the things in the room. There was a life sized horse made of hubcaps. One of the curtains on a window was made of pieces of Rascal Flatts t-shirts that had been sewn together. And there was more Sauron stuff. An actual replica of the Dark Lord's mace hung over the fireplace (which was one of those fake, gas powered jobs.) A Sauron action figure waved its mace at me from atop the model ikran Wall-E had put it on. That one was kind of cute. Wall-E had posed it just right so that it looked like Sauron was actually riding the ikran, just like a Na'vi person would. A replica of the One Ring sat on top of a miniature Barad-dûr beside the hubcap horse.

**Come on, you can look at that later. You haven't seen my favorite part yet.**

**Okay, okay, I'm coming. That ikran thing's pretty cute, though.**

**Thanks.** he said. We went up another elevator that had been through Extreme Makeover: Wall-E Edition, but this one only went up one floor. The doors opened into a spacious room full of…

Instruments. Every kind you could imagine, from guitars (electric and acoustic) and electric basses, to marching band drums and a huge drum set, to fiddles and banjos, to the big grand piano in the far corner. And to make it even more amazing, the other three walls were glass, providing a stunning panorama of the abandoned city. If there was ever a way to see the city as beautiful, this was it. Beyond the skyline of trash towers, old Human buildings, and Human buildings that had been converted into autopilot dorms, the flat, open land stretched to the horizon, where the boundary between Earth and Sky was a hazy, blurry line.

**This is obviously a music room.** Wall-E explained, **I found everything and brought it up here myself. You like it?**

**Oh, Wall-E, I-I don't know what to say. It's just…wonderful.**

**You think that's cool? Watch this.** He opened a tile in the wall to reveal a small panel with several buttons on it. The one he pressed was a large crystal, like the kind humans used as paperweights.

**Watch the back wall.** he said. I did.

The wall split horizontally. The top half slid up into the ceiling, the bottom slid into the floor. Outside was a skywalk along the side of the room. I went out onto it. A warm breeze blew across the skywalk. A breeze! Down in the trash, we never felt a breeze. The air down there was totally dead.

**It's beautiful up here. You can see everything.** I nodded toward the brown speck to the right that was Lido's house.

**I know. That's why I like it here.** Wall-E said softly.

**You come here a lot?** I asked.

**Yes. I come here when I want to be alone.**

**Why here? Why not Lido's?**

**Because this is safer. Nobody comes here. Nobody even knows I have this place. Except you, of course.**

**Not even Lido?** I asked. Wall-E shook his head.

**Not even Lido.**

**Wow.** I whispered, **So why did you show me all this?**

**You're my friend. I wanted us to have a special place we could go to together. So you could come and get away from Na Ray and all those other eejits. A place just for the two of us. No one else. A secret place. Our special place.**

**Our special place.** I repeated. Wall-E left the skywalk and stood at the piano. He began to play an old Rascal Flatts song.

**This goes to you, Sprig.** he said. Then, in a sweet, high, Rascal Flatts-like voice, he began to sing.

_I set out on a narrow way_

_Many years ago._

_Hoping I would find true love_

_Along the broken road._

_But I got lost a time or two._

_Wiped my brow and kept pushin' through_

_I couldn't see how every sign_

_Pointed straight to you._

_That every long lost dream_

_Led me to where you are._

_Others who broke my heart_

_They were like northern stars_

_Pointing me on my way_

_Into your loving arms_

_This much I know is true_

_That God blessed the broken road_

_That led me straight to you_

_I think about the years I spent_

_Just passin' through_

_I'd like to have the time I lost_

_And give it back to you._

_But you just smile and take my hand._

_You've been there, you understand._

_It's all part of a grander plan_

_That is comin' true_

_Every long lost dream_

_Led me to where you are._

_Others who broke my heart_

_They were like northern stars_

_Pointing me on my way_

_Into your loving arms_

_This much I know is true_

_That God blessed the broken road_

_That led me straight to you_

_Now I'm just rollin' home_

_Into my lover's arms_

_This much I know is true._

_That God blessed the broken road_

_That led me straight to you_

**And that's our special song.** I whispered as Wall-E finished playing.

**Yes, it is.** he agreed, **Our special song.**


	6. Lessons

**Yes, I know, this one's short. I thought I'd give you a break from the long ones because crap happens in the next one, so keep reading please. And PLEASE keep reviewing. No, I do not own Wall-E.**

**6. Lessons**

In all my life I never learned as much as I did that day from Wall-E. He told me how the Humans just kept throwing things away until the planet was covered in trash. They polluted the air and water until it was toxic. They built us to clean up their mess. And when they left, we were left in the ruins of the planet. The people in the Humantown wouldn't stick around much longer, Wall-E said. They would leave, just like all the others had.

He talked about cities and how people were always rushing, the streets were always crowded, and it was always noisy. He told me what the ancient buildings had been used for and how you could tell.

I learned some useful things, too. I learned to tell time by the sun and how to navigate by the stars. He showed me how to move quickly and quietly to avoid getting jumped again by Ox. I learned how to stalk, attack and defend against other attackers. I gotta say, for a runt of a trash compacter, Wall-E was an awesome fighter. And I mastered every weapon a trash compacter could possibly use. (I even got to use the Sauron mace, and I was _really_ good with that.)

**You can have it if you want.** Wall-E said when we finished.

**Really? Your Sauron mace? Are you sure?**

**Oh, yeah. I have another one hidden somewhere that I can replace that one with.** he said as he fastened a harness onto me that I could slip the mace into when I wasn't using it.

**Wow! Thanks!** I said, and laid it on the piano bench.

I also learned how to draw, paint, and sculpt things out of garbage like Wall-E did. At the end of the hour, the hubcap horse had a baby soda can horse next to it. I learned more songs and how to write the words down.

We were so busy, we never saw the disaster sign that turned the trash piles into a sea of panic.

We were out on the skywalk when we heard it. The long, low siren tone. It was rarely ever heard, but everyone knew what it meant. It was an alarm that sounded when there was an emergency.

**We better go.** I said as I grabbed my mace from the bench and slipped it into the harness on my back, **It could be important. Someone might be hurt.**

**Yeah, let's go.** he agreed. Just before the elevator doors closed, I saw the rising smoke.


	7. Autopilots Have Feelings

**As I said before, stuff happens in this one. There are some more new characters and one of these characters gets his/her background story revealed. So stop waiting, go read this and review it (PLEEEEEEEEAASE) You already know I don't own Wall-E**

**7. Autopilots Have Feelings**

When we got there, the trash piles were in turmoil. No one even noticed that Wall-E was here. Or they just didn't care.

**What's going on?** Wall-E called.

**It's down there. Go thataway.** a trash compacter called, pointing down a street.

**Thank you!** Wall-E turned in the direction the trash compacter had pointed and gasped.

**Sprig, do you see that?**

**How could I not?** I replied, **What _is_ that?**

**Let's go find out.** Wall-E took off, pulling me by my wrist.

It didn't take long to find the source of the smoke. There was a large group of autopilots standing outside a blazing dorm building. They were all different ranks, judging by the colors of their ground length smocks. There were Arisths in white, Amateurs in gray, Nothlits in brown, Seniors in navy blue, and Apexes in black. There were black robed pit guardians there, too. These were autopilots that were too old to ever fly a starliner or even drive a pizza truck. Their job was to supervise and take care of the dorm students.

Fearless little Wall-E approached a tall pit guardian and tugged on his robe. I stiffened. Pit guardians could get very aggressive very fast. I drew out my mace and brought it up to the ready position in case things got ugly.

**Wall-E!** I called softly, but he didn't hear me. He tugged the autopilot's robe again.

**Excuse me, sir.** The autopilot looked down at him with a soft red eye. I relaxed (you can usually tell an autopilot's emotions by watching their eye color.). Wall-E wasn't going to be pulverized by a _calm_ autopilot.

**Yes?** the pit guardian replied. I recognized the voice of Proct-R, my mother's old friend.

**Um, can you tell me what happened here?** Proct-R's eye changed to a dull, dark red, a sign of sadness, and the top two spokes on him that were his ears drooped downward.

**We don't know how the fire started. We were just told to get out and find our dorm mates. We got out all right, except….**

**Except what?** Wall-E asked, his voice full of worry, **Is there someone still inside?**

Proct-R nodded, Trissa. **She was in her room when it happened, taking care of…**

**Proct-R, look!** someone cried.

We all turned to face the burning building. And we all saw the miraculous sight.

In the doorway, in front of the blazing inferno, stood a tall autopilot in a navy blue smock. In her arms was a smaller autopilot in white.

**Trissa-la! You're alive!** A group of girls rushed at her, but she continued as if she was in a trance and didn't notice them.

**Over here, Trissa.** Proct-R called. Trissa's eye was the same dark red as Proct-R's.

**Is he all right?** Proct-R nodded to the limp form in Trissa's arms.

**He's barely holding on to consciousness.** she answered gravely, **He's still sick, but I think he'll be okay.** Proct-R took off his heavy outer cloak and spread it out on the ground. Trissa laid the little aristh on the cloak. He whimpered softly, but was otherwise quiet.

**Poor Auto.** she muttered softly, **Poor little Auto.**

Wall-E and I exchanged looks of surprise.

**He's real!** Wall-E gasped. I didn't have to ask who he meant. I knew. His name was Autopilot and he was the monster from Wall-E's dream and Lido's movie. And now he was a real person. My grip tightened on my mace and I tensed up again. Trissa must have seen this because she turned toward me and said,

**It's alright, he's not contagious or anything like that. It's just a little bug or something, that's all.**

Thanks to Wall-E's teaching and some of my own experiences, I was pretty good at identifying diseases, especially in other androids. So it seemed only right that I should at least _try_ to help them. After all, while he had scared Wall-E in a dream, Auto hadn't _actually_ done anything to us. Until now, he didn't even know we existed.

I slipped my mace back into its harness and went over to where Trissa knelt by Auto's side. She laid one hand on his shoulder.

**You okay?** she asked. A soft moan issued from the autopilot in white.

**Yes….Trissa.** Auto said slowly, his voice barely more than a whisper. This voice, though, was very different from the cold monotone in the movie. That voice was cruel and angry, while, the real Auto's just sounded sad and hurt. Like the lonely child no one loved.

Like Wall-E's voice had sounded when he first spoke to me at the trash pile.

**What's wrong?** I asked. They both looked up at me.

**He has-** she leaned in closer, like Humans did when they told each other secrets, **-a nanovirus.**

**A what?** Auto asked (he'd obviously had Trissa do this with him before, not saying his illness out loud.), **What do I have?**

I used my internal software and scanned him quickly.

**You have a nanovirus.** I replied before I'd even finished scanning, **It's a disease caused by nanos, little robots that eat you from the inside out. Some are more severe than others. I forget the name, but I know the one you have isn't deadly. It'll just make you feel drowsy and you'll start to feel sick at some point.**

**I feel sick _now_.** Auto moaned, putting a hand up to his face.

**I think I might have something.** I said, remembering the small box of antinanos I always carried in case I should find myself in this situation. I took out the small silver cube with its transferring cord, which I plugged into Auto's arm. This allowed the antinanos to leave the container and enter Auto's body, where they would destroy the nanos and then dissolve. The whole process takes about a day, but when it's done, you're completely cured, and you start to feel better the moment someone injects you with antinanos.

**So what happened?** I asked Auto, **Why wasn't anyone looking for you when they all came out?**

**That's a sad story.** Trissa replied. Auto just stared at the ground, **But we'll tell you as best we can. Auto's main problem is his family, or rather, his lack thereof.**

**You mean no one loves him? That's just like how I used to be.** Wall-E said from where he had just appeared at my side.

**Pretty much.** Auto stated glumly, **No one in my "family" wanted me.** He made air quotes with his fingers as he said "family".

**How come?** I asked.

**They're idiots.**

**They don't give a flying trash cube about Auto. He's just something for them to take out their anger on.** Trissa added.

**What do they do?** I asked worriedly.

**Well, let's see, they break every law they can, they get high as much as possible, some are in or just released from an insane asylum, they force me to sell their stupid drugs and to pick up drugs they've bought, and I think some might be terrorists. I wouldn't put it past them.** Auto paused and Trissa took over,

**They basically made him their slave. They always yelled at him when they needed something done, even though they could have done it themselves. He even had to carry them outside so they could recharge without getting up. And they tied him up outside and made him sleep out in the cold and rain.**

**That's terrible!** Wall-E cried.

**How awful.** I whispered.

**I know. That's why, when Proct-R found him, he brought him to the dorms immediately, even though Auto was too little to start on his education at the School. **She laughed to herself, as though remembering a pleasant thought.

**You should have seen him when he came in, hiding behind Proct-R and every now and then peeking around him to look at something. See, Proct-R had called me down to the lobby for something. He'd said it was important, so you can bet I was there on the double. He and Auto had just come in out of a thunderstorm when I got there. He told me to go on and take Auto to our dorm and find him a room while he checked Auto into the records system. I told Auto he could share my room, since I had an extra bed. He just nodded and got a death grip on my arm. I sat there and talked to him all night that night. I think that meant a lot to him. 'I never had somebody listen to me before,' he said, 'everyone at home thinks I'm too stupid to talk.' I just hugged him and said 'Don't you listen to them, Auto, because they're dead wrong, you hear? Dead wrong. You're not stupid. If you're stupid, then I'm a Human, and anyone that calls you dumb is a filthy dunghill rat.' I got a laugh out of him with that. I think that's what broke the ice. That was the night we became best friends and Proct-R said it was my job to care for Auto. I said I was honored and that Auto couldn't be in better hands, except maybe if Proct-R himself cared for him."**

**She's done a great job.** Auto put in, **If it weren't for her, I would be toast. Especially if I get surrounded by bullies.**

**Anyway, when Proct-R brought him here, it was great…at first. When everyone thought he was just some little orphan Proct-R had found in the streets. Then they found out why he was really there, and who his parents were. I forgot to mention, his parents never bothered to name him.**

**Huh? I thought your name was Autopilot.** I said, turning to face him.

**It is. But _I_named _myself _that, not my parents. **Auto explained, **That's why my name doesn't sound really creative or original. I was really young, and "autopilot" was the longest word I knew, so naturally I said it a lot. Proct-R and Trissa started calling me that, and it just sorta stuck.**

**Kinda like how I got to be 'Sprig'** I said. The three of them just stared at me like I was speaking Mordorian or something.

**Never mind.** I said, but that is how I got that name. My real name's Siry, but no one's called me that in forever.

**Oo-kaay. That was random.** Auto said, **Anyway, Proct-R's got this idea stuck in his head that I'll be famous one day and he says that's a good name because no one will forget it. He scoffed, He's usually pretty wise about that kind of thing, but I think that was his first mess up. I think he must not have been fully awake or something. Or else he was sick. I mean, come on. Me? Famous? For what? Being picked on by the most bullies in a single day? No thank you, I'd rather remain anonymous.**

**Oh, Auto, he means something good and you know it. Stop acting like you don't.** Trissa argued.

**Well, whatever he meant, it probably won't happen. The way he described things, it sounds too good to be true. And with my luck, it probably is.**

**So, what happened here?** Wall-E asked, **What did the others do when they found out why he was really there?**

**They began to hate him. They made him the butt of every joke and every prank was played on him.** Trissa answered.

**That's right.** Auto agreed, **Pretty soon I was right back where I started. No friends, no family, no anyone. No one wanted me.**

**No one loved him.** Trissa said softly, **Well, no one but me and Proct-R.**

**Wow.** was all I could think of to say. She nodded, **They still pick on him. If he didn't stick with me, he'd get beat up just for being Autopilot.**

**That's cruel.** I stated, **That's just cruel.**

By this time, the antinano injection was complete, and the transferring cable was ejected from Auto's system, so I could take it out of his arm.

**Whatever that was, it's working. I feel better already.** Auto said.

**Sprig, we better go**. Wall-E said quickly, in a hushed voice.

**Why?** I reached for my mace again. His tone made me uneasy.

**Look.** he said, **Na Ray's coming.**

Sure enough, I saw the big trash compacter headed our way. He had an angry, violent look in his creepy, rust red eyes. I noticed that Wall-E was shivering and that he had moved closer to me as he held my arm. He was trying to be brave, but he couldn't hide the fear in his normally soft, watery brown eyes. The closer Na Ray got, the more frightened Wall-E became. I put my arm around him and pulled him close.

**Don't be scared.** I said gently, **I'm right here.**

**Sprig, he hates me. Can't we just run?** Wall-E begged.

**Too late.** Auto hissed.

**He's seen us.** I said begrudgingly.

**Indeed I have.** Na Ray's cold, harsh voice said above us, **and I've come to see why you skipped work and the ritual today, _Sprig_.** He spit out my name like it was a deadly poison.

**And as for you-** he addressed Wall-E like he would have addressed a murderer, **-keep your pagan ways to yourself. Siri's a bright young girl and she doesn't need you poisoning her mind. Now, _SHOO!_**

**Don't you go _ANYWHERE_, Wall-E.** I yelled defiantly, **You stay right here. And, Na Ray, I'll tell you this. If I'm so _bright_, then I believe _I _should be able to say whether or not my mind is being poisoned, as well as who's poisoning it. And Wall-E has done nothing of the sort. So there.**

Na Ray looked like he wanted to kill someone.

**Why did you…what is it you kids say now? Oh, yes…_nick __out_ today?** Na Ray demanded, glaring at me. But before I could say anything, Auto piped up.

**Sir, it's my fault. I was having, uh, trouble with some classwork and, uh, she was, uh, helping me.** Auto bowed his head, trying to look ashamed,** If you're gonna get mad, get mad at me, not them. **Na Ray paused, unsure of what to say. Then,

**Well, since you owned up to it, I'll let you go with forty demerits.** Auto looked like he'd been struck with a hot iron and his eye was a deep, dark, dull red. The color of deep sorrow or loss.

**Because you were honest.** Na Ray finished.

**Th-thank you s-sir.** Auto replied sadly.

**Just don't let this happen again, understand?**

**Y-yes sir.**

**Good.** And with that, Na Ray was gone.

Once he was out of thought speak range, we all jumped on Auto.

**What was that about?** Wall-E asked.

**Yeah, that's not like you at all. Usually, you're so terrified of him, you can't even look at him. Now you can not only stare him down, but you can bold-faced, flat-out _lie_ to him?** Trissa said.

**I don't like him.** Auto answered, **And I liked him a lot less, if that's even possible, when he was getting on Sprig and yelling at poor Wall-E. I like you two, and you two helped me, so I couldn't just stand by and let that trash cube chew you out.**

**But you got those-what are they?-demerit things for something you didn't even do.** I protested.

**That doesn't matter. I'll never get promoted anyway.** He looked down at his soiled, soot covered white smock and sighed.

**Oh, Auto.** Trissa hugged him tightly, **That's not true. You just have to wait for the chance to do something great. And you can't _look_ for that. you have to let it come to you.**

**It won't.** Auto said.

**Yes it will.** Trissa assured him, **It'll come. You just won't be expecting it. But I assure you, when your time comes, Auto, you'll know and you'll be ready.**

**You think so?** Auto asked. He didn't sound hopeful.

**I know so.** she answered, **I know so.**

I felt a slight tug on my arm. Wall-E pulled me out of Auto and Trissa's range.

**What is it?** I asked, ready to whip out my mace and start knocking heads with it.

**I wanted to ask you something. About Auto and Trissa.**

**What about them?** I asked.

**I was wondering, um, well, you know, since they're kind of, I don't know, our friends and they seem so nice that, maybe, um…** Wall-E inhaled, **Should we show them our special place?**

**Only if you want to. It's up to you.**

**Really?** he asked. I nodded.

**Just don't forget to sing them our song.** I reminded him.

**Don't even think I'd forget.** And he raced over to tell them.


	8. Make New Friends

**This total cheesy-ball of a chapter goes out to WALL-E and EVE In Love. Here's to you, for being the first to review my piece of total crap. You asked for another chapter, so here it is. It may be kind of short, though.**

**To anyone else, don't let ALL my reviews come from one person. Please Review. Even if you think this is total crap (which it is, but still) i want to know. At this point, i'll even take "You suck!" as a review Seriously.**

**Seriously, i don't own Wall-E or the song in this chapter. that belongs to Allison Krauss.**

**8. Make New Friends**

It was afternoon, sunset, when the four of us met at the skyscraper. We had to be careful, in case Na Ray was watching. So we signaled each other with glowsticks in case someone was listening for thought speech. Obviously, we didn't talk until we got inside the skyscraper.

**Wow.** Auto whispered, **This is even better than history class or the museums.**

**Yeah. It's real.** Trissa agreed, **It hasn't been preserved or altered at all.**

**Come on! This is just the lobby.** Wall-E led us to the elevator. This time I knew what to expect and grabbed on to the rail in the back.

**Are you SURE this thing won't break with us in it?** Auto asked.

**Yes.** Wall-E answered.

**He tricked its weight sensors.** I added.

**Nice.** Auto complimented.

When we reached the fancy door to the penthouse, Wall-E and I moved aside.

**Go ahead,** Wall-E urged.

**Yeah! Open it.** I motioned toward the doorknob. Auto put out his hand, paused, and looked at Trissa, as if he were asking her permission to open the door. She nodded slowly and whispered, **Go on.** softly.

For some weird reason, whenever an autopilot nods or bows, I get a feeling of solemnity. Maybe it's the way they have to do it slowly because their wheel/heads are so large. I don't know. It just does.

Auto opened the door and I saw what I imagine I must've looked like the first time I opened that door.

**Oooohhhh myyyy gaaaawd! Trissa? I'm not the only one seeing this, right?** Auto "breathed"

**No you're not.** she replied, **This is just…oh, it's amazing!**

**You do this, Wall-E?** Auto asked, looking at the hubcap horse.

**Yep.** Wall-E went to the other elevator **Come on! I want to show you our favorite place.**

We followed him up to the spacious music room. Auto was getting worried about the elevator (again) and Trissa was reassuring him that it was fine and he wasn't going to die when it fell or something like that. When the doors opened, the two autopilots looked even more shocked, if that was even possible.

**Wow! Hey, is that a…** Auto paused for a moment, as if searching for the word, then enunciating it slowly as if he wasn't sure it was right. **…gui-tar? Is that the right word?** (am I good at reading thoughts or what?) Auto raced over and picked up the stringed instrument.

**I don't believe it. he whispered I thought they didn't exist anymore.** He plucked the strings a bit, like he was testing it out or something. He turned the little knobs at the top of it and plucked the string again. Then, once he seemed to be satisfied with…whatever he was looking for, he began to strum out a slow, quiet tune. Trissa gasped, as though she had just remembered something. She straightened up and looked at him.

**There's something I need to say to you after all our years of being such good friends.**

Auto kept playing, but looked up **Go ahead. I'm listening.**

She took a deep "breath" and sang

_It's amazing how you_

_Can speak right to my heart_

_Without sayin' a word_

_You can light up the dark_

_Try as I may_

_I could never explain_

_What I hear_

_When you don't say a thing_

_The smile on your face_

_Lets me know that you need me_

_There's a truth in your eyes_

_Sayin' you'll never leave me_

_A touch of your hand_

_Says you'll catch me_

_If ever I fall_

_You say it best_

_When you say nothin' at all_

_All day long I can hear_

_People talking out loud_

_But when you hold me near_

_You drown out the crowd_

_Ol' mister Webster_

_Could never define_

_What's bein' said_

_Between your heart and mine_

_The smile on your face_

_Lets me know that you need me_

_There's a truth in your eyes_

_Sayin' you'll never leave me_

_A touch of your hand_

_Says you'll catch me_

_If ever I fall_

_You say it best_

_When you say nothin' at all_

We waited until Auto finished the ending. Then Wall-E and I applauded softly.

**That was good.** I said

**Yeah. We have our own special song. Would you like to hear it?** Wall-E asked.

**Sure.** Auto answered, putting the guitar back on the stand where he'd found it.

**I'll sing this time.** I told Wall-E. And together, we sang "Bless The Broken Road", our special song, for our new friends.


End file.
